Digital Dirt can be damaging to include; but not limited to: when you apply for a job; when you are considered for a promotion; when you request a recommendation; and when you are competing for a position or title.

Your perception may have been positive; but it may be perceived as unacceptable or negative. You may be trying to boost your credibility; but your digital dirt degraded you. Erase, minimize your digital dirt.

Clean it up. Check your profiles.Check your usernames. Check your logo. Check your verbiage. Check your links; you may not be responsible for their content, but they’re attached to you. Check photos and comments you may have left on other’s pages, blogs, forums, or sites. You may need to request their help to get them removed; if they agree. Check your settings; everything need not be for all to see. Check major search engines using your name in quotes to find information.

Others may possess your name; just be certain yours does not surface with digital dirt. Check yourself online to see what may be lurking in your past that is truly DIGITAL DIRT.

You need to provide positive information to alleviate digital dirt.Your character and your integrity is at stake. What you perceive as a great photo or awesome comment; may be the dirt that knocks you of your online feet. Your postings, comments, messages, and photo may tell a different story about you. They may identify dishonesty in your application, resume, and interview. Their findings may not be discriminatory; just shocking and appalling.

If you need to disclose something before they find it; make the choice to address it. Your future may depend on it; your integrity is on the line. You may not get interviews nor job offers. Don’t get angry; make better choices. Your online activity is a reflection of you, your values, your worth. http://askshirleyd.com

Have you done a reality check? What has Twitter done for you lately? What have your followers done for you lately? Are you still addicted to the social networks. Are you in denial? Are you moving forward or caught up?

You wake and before your first cup of coffee; you need to check your tweets or you’ve got to tweet. Before you shower; you’ve got to check your Facebook. Before you can help the children with their homework? Dinner is late because of your social networking? What comes first? You or social networking. Does social media make you the person you are? Is your voice in the keypad? Are you lost among all these friends(hundreds, thousands, more)? Are you full of yourself? Can you converse without tweeting or relating to tweets? Can you make a friend or does Facebook give you the skills you need to establish relationships.

Are goals on the sideline because you need to tweet or make an online friend? What about career progression? Are you a traditional or nontraditional student who is procrastinating; because you need to post or follow so many friends. You need to monitor so you can tweet as much as possible.

What about family? Hey, what about communicating in the home? Are you so focused on tweeting and online friends that you’re neglecting your children? What about your employer? Is your job in jeopardy? Are you caught up? Will the real you please stand up? Life may be passing you by. You can benefit from social networking; but, life extends past that.